


Who Protects the Lion?

by Grimalkenkid



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Hanzhardt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Reinzo, noodle dragons make an appearance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 02:15:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8126536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimalkenkid/pseuds/Grimalkenkid
Summary: Hanzo ain't the only one with bad memories... memories that haunt in the middle of the night.





	

**Author's Note:**

> (Cross-posted from tumblr.)

            Hanzo was no stranger to sleepless nights and fitful rest. Too often had he awoken from a nightmare in a cold sweat, unable to fully close his eyes again for hours afterwards. He supposed it had started back when he was still a teenager just coming into the family business. The threat of assassins made him wary, and the slightest movement of a shadow could make him fearful of every corner. And then, of course, after he struck down his brother, the vivid red of blood and piercing cries of agony followed him into the few dreams that were untainted by fear. Years of living with such poor sleeping conditions forced him to cope with it on his own, so it wasn’t that much of a deal anymore.

            Maybe that’s why, when a sudden flailing from his bedmate tossed him awake, Hanzo was so unsure how to handle it.

            The archer had been floating in a semi-restful state when an arm collided with his back and nearly pushed him off the bed. Years of training and honed reflexes kept him from falling to the floor, but he was also wide awake. Annoyance was the first thing on his mind as he sat up and turned to see why Reinhardt had suddenly taken to thrashing about.

            “Reinhardt,” Hanzo groaned, reaching out to his shoulder carefully to avoid being punched. “Wake up. It’s just a nightm-”

            “Augenblick mal! Dein Schirm ist nicht bei voller Leistung! Alfons, du wirst sterben!”

            Hanzo felt all the air leave his lungs as Reinhardt pulled him into a tight embrace as he bolted upright. It wasn’t like most of the older man’s hugs; it was desperate, strong, rigid enough that he doubted even Zarya could break free. Almost like he didn’t want to let go… like he _couldn’t_ let go. “Reinhardt!” the archer gasped. “Reinhardt, please! You’re crushing me!”

            A tense moment passed as the German man’s grip didn’t loosen, and Hanzo wondered if he was even awake enough to hear him. The archer started squirming to see if he could force his lover to let go when he heard a low groan. “Was? Warum ist es so ruhig? Sind… sind wir tot?” Reinhardt mumbled, his arms falling just enough so Hanzo could breathe again.

            And breathe, he did, inhaling deeply to fill his aching lungs. But it did nothing for the ache he was beginning to feel in his heart. He only knew a few words here and there in German, so he had no idea what Reinhardt had said, but the tone and the way he continued shaking told him all he needed to know. “Reinhardt…” Hanzo began, cupping the older man’s face in his hands. He was nowhere near as good as some of the others when it came to giving comfort, but he had to try. “It… it was just a dream… Whatever it was, it’s… safe now.” His voice was barely above a whisper, as if any loud noise would startle the gentle giant.

            The darkness in their room made it impossible to see what kind of expression Reinhardt was making, but he caught the small glint of reflected light that meant he had opened his eyes. “Mmh… meine Drachen? D-did I wake you?”

            Hanzo very nearly shook his head, the quiver in his lover’s voice making him worry like he never had before. Reinhardt was usually the one to take him into his arms and whisper kind words that made him feel safe and loved. The archer could never do the same. “That… doesn’t matter. Are you alright?”

            He mentally kicked himself at the question, but Reinhardt gave a soft laugh… a laugh that swiftly morphed into an anxious chuckle as he pulled Hanzo closer to his chest. “Ah, I-I will be fine. I h-have you here, and the memory is back where i-it belongs.”

            The younger man suppressed a snort. Reinhardt was still trembling, and it wasn’t getting better. If anything, the longer he remained relatively still in the man’s arms, the more pronounced the shaking became. Hanzo moved his arms around the older man’s shoulders and hugged as tightly as he could, burying his face in the crook of his neck. He was too small. His lover was terrified of something, and he would never be able to make him feel safe. How could he, when Reinhardt was always shielding him from harm, both from their enemies and his own guilt? Tears began to form as he mentally begged for help… and then he felt a prickling in his arm.

            Hanzo glanced at his arm just to see two ethereal, blue dragons rising unbidden from his tattoo. They were far smaller than they usually were, only about as long as he was tall… the form they took whenever he wasn’t in battle. But they usually stayed hidden. Had he really lost control? Hanzo glared at the two serpents, as if that could get them to behave, but they merely chirped and wrapped their bodies around the two men, one nuzzling Reinhardt’s shoulder.

            “Heh,” the German man chuckled, a wonderful sound to Hanzo’s ears despite the shakiness that lingered. “Looks l-like someone decided to join us. Hello, little ones.”

            Hanzo let out a sigh of annoyance. He hated losing control over the dragons so easily, but on the other hand, Reinhardt wasn’t shaking quite as badly. The archer buried his face in his shoulder again, hugging him tighter in place of saying something possibly stupid. He didn’t know what to say, and he doubted he ever would. All that felt right was to hold the man he loved until they all fell asleep hours later when the sun was just starting to color the sky red.

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to SkeleGiraffe over at the Reinzo discord server for helping with Reinhardt’s German lines. You’re awesome!
> 
> Translations:  
> “Augenblick mal! Dein Schirm ist nicht bei voller Leistung! Alfons, du wirst sterben!”: Wait a minute! Your shield’s not at full power! Alfons, you’ll die!
> 
> “Was? Warum ist es so ruhig? Sind… sind wir tot?”: What? Why is it so quiet? Are… are we dead?
> 
> As always, comments and critiques are greatly appreciated.
> 
> EDIT: A big thank you to TikaOn for some helping correct a mistake in the German phrases.


End file.
